Credential Engine, a national nonprofit organization working to map the credential landscape with clear and consistent information to empower people to find the pathways that are best for them, is helping New York, Michigan, and California meet the requirements for credential transparency in their Reimagine Workforce Preparation (RWP) Grants.
RWP Grants from the U.S. Department of Education aim to help states build new capacity and flexibility to meet the needs of a changing workplace. As part of this work, states are leveraging entrepreneurship and improving education and training opportunities to create pathways that increase people’s access to the workforce.
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- New York’s RWP Grant, led by the New York Department of Labor, seeks to develop and scale short-term educational programs, with a focus on entrepreneurship and digital transformation. In collaboration with the State and City Universities of New York (SUNY and CUNY) and other training providers, this work will give New Yorkers significantly greater access to quality education and training.
- The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has partnered with ten workforce and college partners across the state to fund and deliver both short- and mid-term training in economically important industries specific to each region. The state has created the Michigan Learning & Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) to not only allow job seekers to earn credentials while reducing tuition burden but to also address regional workforce needs through deliberate reskilling and upskilling initiatives in partnership with local employers.
- California’s Workforce Development Board (CWDB) leads its RWP grant through partnerships with five industry-focused projects. Building on California’s High Road Training Partnership framework, CWDB is working with community college partners as well as industry partners to expand training and education opportunities in careers spanning across the agriculture, construction, energy, and hospitality sectors.
A significant portion of this work is ensuring that states’ credential data align with workforce needs and that people have access to such information so they can appropriately and efficiently find and navigate their options. Credential Engine is supporting the work in each of these states by providing strategic project management and technical assistance to each state and their subgrantees. States are mapping their credential data using the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL) to ensure information about all credentials funded by the grant are available as linked open data — as required by the U.S. Department of Education — through the Credential Registry. The CTDL helps ensure that credentials — regardless of provider — are speaking the same language, and the Credential Registry makes these data accessible and searchable so people can find, compare, and pursue their options. In addition, Credential Engine is working with each state to identify priority uses of Registry data, such as Learning and Employment Records and the development of navigable pathways.Â
Credential Engine invites other states who are working towards improving the workforce, education, and training to contact us and explore how we may help support work unfolding in your state.
If you have any questions about the contents of this press release or are interested in working together, please contact Emilie Rafal, Credential Engine’s Director of Programs, at erafal@credentialengine.org. Â
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About Credential Engine:
Credential Engine is a non-profit whose mission is to map the credential landscape with clear and consistent information, fueling the creation of resources that empower people to find the pathways that are best for them. Our work is already underway in 27 states and regions, and across 2 regional consortia of states. Learn more at www.credenginedev.wpengine.com.